After saying that, they both stomped out of the venue as well, prompting Jenna to stare at Kevin with pleading eyes… Only to hear him say, “You’ve disappointed me, Jenna.” After Kevin left, the remaining people instantly began shouting things like, “Yeah! That’s the way to do it!” “It’s almost funny how this princess got reduced to nothing more than a criminal in a single afternoon!” “Hah! She deserves it! Speaking of criminals, how should the case be dealt with, Judge?!” “Hurry up and deal with this eyesore! I don’t ever want to see this malicious waste of oxygen again!” After striking the gavel a few times to regain order again, the Judge finally declared, “The crimes committed by Jenna Lockhart will still need to be verified by the judicial department. With that said, she’ll first be transferred to Aplos Prison until things have been fully investigated! As for Xavia Lockhart, the court sees no reason for you to remain, so you’re free to go.” “Thank God!” “I know, right
Moving back to Xavia, she made sure to run out of the courtroom shortly after. After all, she didn’t want to be bogged down by reporters. To her surprise, however, Zivon was nowhere to be seen! “…Wasn’t he here earlier? I wonder where he went…” muttered the puzzled Xavia. “Don’t worry, I’ll send you back instead,” replied Mark. Before he could even get his car keys out, however, Xavia shook her head and said, “You’ve already helped me plenty in the past few days, Mark… You should head back and get some rest instead.” “Oh please, sending you back isn’t even a hard task,” replied Mark as he led her to his car. Feeling slightly helpless, Xavia then said, “…Well, alright, but once I’m done with everything, I’m treating you and Dr. Rudner to dinner!” Knowing that she’d be upset if he declined, he simply nodded in response. Matthew, however, replied, “Wait… Are you seriously just treating us to a single meal after all that we’ve helped you with…? Why not consider marrying Mark in
Xavia really didn’t want him or the kids to know that she had almost lost her life back then, but that was simply the reality of the situation. Zivon himself knew that she had just gotten past a great ordeal, and that he shouldn’t be nit-picky right now. Even so, there were just some things that were difficult to ignore. Gently pushing her aside, Zivon muttered, “…The water’s warm now. Go take a shower and get some well-deserved rest. In the meantime, I’ll be taking the kids out to get some ingredients for dinner.” “Aww… Aren’t you going to hug me to sleep…?” replied Xavia who truly didn’t want him to leave. Upon hearing that, Zivon couldn’t help but squint his eyes as he replied, “…Are you sure you need that?” He, for one, didn’t think she even needed him by her side. Xavia herself was too happy to be by his side again to notice his change in tone. Because of that, she was quick to say, “I am! Though… you may not have been able to take proper care of Maison and Yulia in the pa
It was Mark. “…What are you doing here, Mark? Didn’t I say you should get some rest…?” Handing her some medication, Mark replied, “Well, Matthew gave me some meds that would help energize and keep my body regulated. I figured you needed it as well, so I brought some for you.” “…You always have me in mind, huh? Jokes aside, I appreciate it, Mark. Would you like to come in?” asked the grateful Xavia. “It’s fine. Before I go, remember to give yourself ample rest before even thinking about starting work again, alright?” “Got it! Oh, actually, before you go… Maison made some nutritious pastries earlier. It’s for dinner, but we have quite a bit so let me give some to you! Wait right here!” Watching as she ran off into the kitchen, Mark couldn’t help but smile. Back when she was a child, she’d use to do the same every time he brought her goodies. It almost felt like nothing had changed… Yet at the same time, Mark knew that there was no going back to those good old days. After all,
“Yeah… See you soon,” replied the smiling Xavia as she waved till his car was out of sight… and shortly after, a Maybach drove toward her. It was Zivon’s car! With a twinkle in her eye, she was quick to walk up to him and say, “Back so early, Von?” Zivon, for one, could still see Mark’s car driving off through his rear-view mirror. It made him imagine a situation where Mark and Xavia were being all affectionate at his doorway… and that naturally caused his tone to go icy as he replied, “…Should I not have returned?” Instantly realizing that something was off, Xavia quickly shook her head and said, “T-that’s not what I meant! That aside, you seem to be busy all the time… Is it because of me?” “…It isn’t. Anyway, are the kids asleep?” grumbled Zivon who was trying his best to not think about Mark. “Yeah. We watched a movie together, and after reading several bedtime stories to them, they ended up falling asleep earlier than usual. I think they were already pretty tired since th
His frigid tone left her momentarily stunned, and even though it was dark, she was able to sense his knife-sharp glare… It took her a while, but she eventually managed to say, “I… That’s not what I meant-” “Then what did you mean?” interrupted Zivon. “Did you bother texting me at all in the past six days? You keep talking about how you two worked hard to crack the case, but did you not consider asking for my help? Do you take me as an outsider or something? Remember, I’m your fiancée! I should be the one you think about first instead of your first love! What’s more, you hugged him in front of everyone back at court. What’s that supposed to mean?” “With how much you’re praising him, it makes me wonder whether you’re truly trying to say that you still have feelings for that man!” concluded Zivon, leaving Xavia even more shocked than before. She had chosen not to tell him back then since she didn’t want to accidentally alert Jenna about the truth… What’s more, going missing was th
Upon noticing Zivon, the crazed woman instantly rushed toward him while exclaiming, “Y-Young Master Burton…! Please! Save me-” Before she was able to finish her sentence, he had already kicked her down while growling, “You’ve known me for years, Jenna, and I’m sure you know that I don’t hurt women. Congratulations on being the exception!” Her expression distorted in pain, she eventually replied, “…Did you not hear what Keith said that day? I loved you with all my heart, and I had only slept with him because you never ever looked at me! Look, I’m… I’m not asking for forgiveness, but you’re the only one who can save me right now, Young Master Burton…! Please let me off…! I really can’t stand being here anymore…!” Sneering in response, he then lifted her chin while growling, “You think I’d let you out after everything you’ve done to Xav? You locked her up for nine months, deceived me for over four years, and even tried to kill her and my kids! With that in mind, who in the right min
While it was true that she had slept around with other men before, none of them had been as hideous as these people! After vomiting her insides out, the crying woman yelled, “No…! No! Please don’t do this to me…! Do… Do you really think that Xavia will thank you for doing this?! Hell, do you think she loves you in the first place?! Again, she only likes sunny and kind men like Stefan and Mark!” “In fact, had it not been for that incident, she would’ve surely married Mark ages ago! W-what’s more, continuing this madness will only make her hate you more! I bet you have no idea why she withheld such vital information from you for so long, huh?! It was because she didn’t want you to use such despicable methods against me! She’d much rather team up with Mark to bring me to justice in a proper manner! With that said, she’ll never love you for who you truly are!” “T-then again, I think you already know this! After all, you’ve yet to view the pen drive I gave you! You’re only fooling yours
Staring in shock at the kneeling man, Yulia mustered her remaining sanity as she replied, “B-but you’re younger-” “Even if that’s the case, doesn’t that mean that I’m much more ‘capable’ than your older pursuers…?” …Why were his words so suggestive all of a sudden?! Forcing herself to calm down, she took a deep breath before saying, “…Elliot, I’m not sure what spurred this decision, but… I’m not the one for you. Please find someone your age. I’m sorry.” After saying that, she strode straight for the car… but before she could start the engine, she couldn’t help but notice how desolate he looked standing under the pouring rain… Clenching her fists, it took her a while to finally sigh and walk back to him… “…Are you really sure about this?” asked Yulia, much to Elliot’s delight. “I am! Please! Give me a chance! You won’t regret it!” …When he put it that way, all Yulia could do was help him up before finally deciding to return his kiss… Sure, things had taken a sudden, unex
She stared in horror as he removed his shirt right there and then! “W-what are you doing?!” yelped the startled woman as she quickly looked the other way. “…Huh? I mean, I’m drenched, so…” “E-even so, you shouldn’t change right in front of me!” “…Yulia, we bathed together as children… It’s not like you haven’t seen everything already…” “Y-you can’t compare that to this situation…!” “Fine, fine, I… Um… Go cook, I guess… I’ll go get a change upstairs first…” muttered Elliot as he headed upstairs. Yulia herself had to try her best to calm down! After all, Elliot had been plaguing her mind in the past few days, and… she even had dreams where he had… …No! She couldn’t be thinking about such things! She needed to cook! Maybe that would help get her mind out of the gutter! Once that was done, she’d leave and finally start devising a plan to get rid of him…! As Yulia scurried off, Elliot himself was currently staring at an old photo that showed him eating some candy in Yulia’
Just as she had arrived at her car, the president of the Halls Group suddenly walked up to her, a bouquet in hand! The Halls Group had collaborated several times with the Burtons before, and because of that, she was well acquainted with the man. Sadly, he had also proposed to her on multiple occasions… and though she kept rejecting him, he never seemed to get the hint! “There you are, Miss Burton… Since you’re off work, I was wondering if you’d join me for dinner tonight…” asked the charming man. Feeling awkward, she was just about to come up with an excuse when Elliot suddenly grabbed her by the waist and said, “Oh? Another one of your admirers, Yulia…? Sorry, but she already has a boyfriend, my man. If that doesn’t deter you enough, then you should know that she prefers her partners younger. Now please leave.” Startled to hear that, the man glanced at Yulia, his eyes begging for an explanation… Yulia herself was eager to just escape this embarrassing situation, but before s
With that tale done, it was now time to return to Yulia’s story… Ever since she was a child, she had undergone countless hardships with her mother… and even after she was able to reunite with her father, things didn’t go much easier from there. To make matters worse, Fabiola ended up getting kidnapped for the longest time, resulting in Frank ending up the way he was today… Because of all that, it only made sense that she’d mature much sooner than others her age, and unlike the naïve girl she used to be, she was an extremely competent woman today. Alas, because of how used she became with working, she soon lost the urge to find herself a romantic interest… Things continued that way until… Well, that time that Elliot… …Wait, what was she thinking?! He was younger than her, for heaven’s sake! Quickly shaking her head, she attempted to force herself to concentrate on work again… But before long, a knock was heard on the door. After being allowed in, the department manager entered t
Knowing that there was no point in keeping things a secret anymore, Rea took a deep breath before saying, “…Alright, so… The truth is, I’ve always been highly competent, but… I’ve been pretending to be useless just so that you’d eventually marry me… The trip my parents are taking… That was my suggestion too…” Feeling speechless, it took Frank a long while to reply, “…So you weren’t really drunk when you did all that last night?” Pursing her lips, Rea awkwardly muttered, “…I wasn’t… Luna suggested it, and since it sounded like a good idea to accelerate things…” …Fucking hell, to think that he had fallen straight into her trap without even putting up a fight! Watching as he glowered at her, Rea gulped before adding, “A-anyway, now that we’re married and there’s potentially a baby in my belly, you won’t divorce me, right…?” “…Oh, believe me when I say that divorce is the easy way out! From today onward, I’m making you pay for your actions for the rest of your life!” Fast forwa
Fast forward to the next morning, Rea awoke with a yawn… What a nice sleep… Wait. Why was she naked? And why was Frank…?! Her following scream immediately woke the icy man up… and upon looking at her, he was immediately reminded of what had transpired last night! Essentially, Rea ended up clinging to him, and though he initially wanted to just carry her to bed to let her rest… Damn it! Had she really been that sensual?! How had he lost control so easily?! His train of thought was cut short when he realized that Rea was bawling her eyes out… and after rubbing his temples, he was prompted to say, “…Why are you crying when you’re the one who initiated this? I’ll have you know that I never forced you-” “I-I know, but…! I’ve just…! This is my first time…!” whimpered the quivering woman, prompting Frank to purse his lips. As if he wasn’t in the same situation… “…You’re not alone there.” “It’s not the same! Men are free to sleep with whoever they want but when it comes to women, I’l
“Say, wouldn’t you agree that the food smells delicious…? Why don’t I teach you how to grill, Rea…? Oh, but make sure to take your clothes off first before we start! Wouldn’t want them to get dirty…” With how drunk Rea was, she wasn’t able to fully register his words… and just as he was about to touch her clothes, an icy voice roared, “Stop right there…!” Instantly feeling a shiver run down his spine, the man turned around… and to his horror, it was Frank! Young Master Burton’s perpetually icy son…! Why the hell was he here?! Before the frightened intern could think of how to even react, Frank walked up to him and growled, “Leave now before I chop your hands off…! Don’t make me repeat myself!” Nodding in terror, the man frantically bolted off… and once he was out of sight, Frank glared at the tipsy Rea before adding, “This is what you meant by learning how to be more responsible…?!” “Huh…? But the food really did smell super good… I want to learn…” mumbled the drunk woman.
After leaving his office, he headed off to look for Rea. She had said that she wanted to use the bathroom, but… It had already been half an hour since she disappeared. What trouble had that idiot gotten herself into this time? Thankfully, it wasn’t long before he found her laughing along with some of his interns… When the interns saw him, they were quick to bow and say, “Good morning, Mr. Burton.” Barely even glancing at them, Frank looked at Rea and said, “It’s time to head home.” “I… Won’t be following you back…” “…And why is that? Are your parents back?” “No, it’s just… These are my good friends back from school, and they’ve been staying together to learn to be more independent… With that said… I think that staying with them will be a good start for me to learn more about how the world works. Thank you for taking care of me up till this point, Frank… I won’t bother you anymore.” Raising a slight brow, Frank then looked at the interns for a while before saying, “…Are you
Regardless, after leaving her in the room, Frank returned to the shower to cool himself off… but no matter what he did, he simply remained irked. It got to the point where he couldn’t relax at all, and after wrapping a towel around his waist, he grabbed his phone to send his father a text. ‘Was there really nobody else who could’ve taken care of Rea?’ ‘What? Can’t even care for a woman properly.’ ‘I’m a busy man.’ ‘I trust in your time management skills.’ …Though he really wanted to tell Zivon that he had misplaced his trust in him, he didn’t want to disappoint his father either. With that, all he could do was clench his fists before giving Rea’s parents a call… “Hello? Frank? Why are you calling at this time of night?” “…When are you and Uncle Saltman returning, Aunt?” asked Frank who wanted them to take back their idiot already! “…Huh? What was that? Sorry, the line isn’t very good… I hope Rea isn’t giving you too hard a time! Don’t worry, we’ll be back after about a